OK, I'll go with that assumption for a second. So yesterday was a 220 km special (or, shortened by 30kms, 190km total). Helder starts, and because there is no refueling inside the stage, it means he has to calculate fuel at ASS for the whole special. So he fills up for say 220kms, + 10% for nav error, skipping out on, what another extra 4-5 liters? Yes! I hear you say, for extra performance!

Ok, bear with me. 4-5 extra liters of fuel, on -how much does the CRF weigh?- let's assume a 150-160 kilo bike, those 4-5 extra liters are about a 3-4% weight difference to the whole package...?

I'm no Helder, but that is negligible on a rally bike I would imagine, and if not, certainly not more important than having peace of mind to finish the damn day. Helder is no dork, I'd like to think.

Unless. And this is where it might get interesting. Unless he finds the CRF very quirky / the frame geometry weird / the rear suspension bitchy / there is an innate design flaw with how the bike carries it's weight when filled to the brim, and/or how the fuel is circulated when the tanks are topped up with gas.

Just pure speculation, wild guessing and pure innuendo...

We can't know, but I'm sure HRC experiments with different FI maps and settings between the different bikes and different stages. Remember the hi-res pics from the Mojave tests and the van with the different settings scribbled on it?

OK, I'll go with that assumption for a second. So yesterday was a 220 km special (or, shortened by 30kms, 190km total). Helder starts, and because there is no refueling inside the stage, it means he has to calculate fuel at DSS for the whole special. So he fills up for say 220kms, + 10% for nav error, skipping out on, what another extra 4-5 liters? Yes! I hear you say, for extra performance!

Ok, bear with me. 4-5 extra liters of fuel, on -how much does the CRF weigh?- let's assume a 150-160 kilo bike, those 4-5 extra liters are about a 3-4% weight difference to the whole package...?

I'm no Helder, but that is negligible on a rally bike I would imagine, and if not, certainly not more important than having peace of mind to finish the damn day. Helder is no dork, I'd like to think.

Unless. And this is where it might get interesting. Unless he finds the CRF very quirky / the frame geometry weird / the rear suspension bitchy / there is an innate design flaw with how the bike carries it's weight when filled to the brim, and/or how the fuel is circulated when the tanks are topped up with gas.

Just pure speculation, wild guessing and pure innuendo...

No so wild guessing. I don't buy that any fuel volume issue that Helder has had, save perhaps the first, could have been due to short-filling.

We're not talking about having an extra 15L on a 660 Rallye here. As you say, the %'s are small in this case. I know these guys are pushing at the ragged edge, and will look for any advantage available, but the risk doesn't justify -- especially given the issues they've already had with the Honda.

__________________Nate in N.E.

Yes, I have a Dakar problem -- that there are 50 weeks of the year without Dakar!

OK, I'll go with that assumption for a second. So yesterday was a 220 km special (or, shortened by 30kms, 190km total). Helder starts, and because there is no refueling inside the stage, it means he has to calculate fuel at DSS for the whole special. So he fills up for say 220kms, + 10% for nav error, skipping out on, what another extra 4-5 liters? Yes! I hear you say, for extra performance!

Ok, bear with me. 4-5 extra liters of fuel, on -how much does the CRF weigh?- let's assume a 150-160 kilo bike, those 4-5 extra liters are about a 3-4% weight difference to the whole package...?

I'm no Helder, but that is negligible on a rally bike I would imagine, and if not, certainly not more important than having peace of mind to finish the damn day. Helder is no dork, I'd like to think.

Unless. And this is where it might get interesting. Unless he finds the CRF very quirky / the frame geometry weird / the rear suspension bitchy / there is an innate design flaw with how the bike carries it's weight when filled to the brim, and/or how the fuel is circulated when the tanks are topped up with gas.

Just pure speculation, wild guessing and pure innuendo...

Yepp ... I think you made a good point here. But still it's his own fault. Blame HRC for not building the bike he likes...

Maybe HRC ran a standard 16-20 L tank for testing and neglected to factor in the fuel needed just to haul the extra fuel? It's prolly would take at least a couple liters to pack that additional weight thru the sand.

Maybe HRC ran a standard 16-20 L tank for testing and neglected to factor in the fuel needed just to haul the extra fuel? It's prolly would take at least a couple liters to pack that additional weight thru the sand.

A branch reached out and stole his sparkplug wire....don't you people read?!?